I sat with a thick nylon rope wrapped around my arms and wrists. A red scarf sat loosely over my mouth. I was hanging barely above the ground. Sticky red blood dripped from the right side of my head to my shoulder and the ground. My sandy blonde hair soaked red where the gash throbbed.
I looked to my left. A tall, ominous figure stood by me. He was dressed all in black. His black cotton t-shirt had its sleeves cut off to show his muscular arms. It clung to his body revealing the muscles on his body. He wore black jeans with tears in them revealing his pale skin. His face and head were covered with a headpiece; it was some type of black mechanical headgear with a gold mask covering his face. It had slits up and down in a chevron shape, placed perfectly so I could not see his face, but so he could see and speak.
“Do you believe he is coming?” The figure asked with a deep camouflaged voice. He obviously had a common medium pitch voice that he didn’t want recognized.
“I don’t see why not. He has grown rather fond of me.” I replied with a smile. “He believes in being everyone’s hero. If he doesn’t save me it will destroy his image and self-esteem.
I heard a deep covered laugh from the dark figure. “We will see how long that will last.” He placed the silky soft scarf into my mouth.
A loud bang bounced through the room. Smoke slid through as a door opened.
The “hero” has arrived. He walked in wearing a white tank top covered in grease and tight black leather pants. His grey combat boots went up to his knees. He smiled once he saw me.
“Jericka, I am so happy I made it just in time.”
I smiled at him while the dark figure beside me chuckled.
He turned his attention to the figure. “Let her go.”
“I now understand why the one in charge never liked you. You walk around as if everything you touch is yours. You act like a God to these people.” The dark figure said as he moved to a lever opening up trap door beneath the hero.
As the door opened, he jumped over it to solid ground. He laughed. “Do you really think I would fall for something like that?” He looked towards me then back at the black figure.
I shook my head around releasing the scarf from my mouth.
“I don’t understand why you believe you must always go after her, but I can promise this will not go on anymore. You are too predictable and this time we shall end things.” The hero said moving in a circle towards me, but still facing the dark figure.
I smiled and looked towards the black figure. He was laughing as well. “I was thinking the same thing about you.” He replied.
They both looked at me and back at each other. “You love her.” They said in unison.
“Nico.” I said to my “hero”.
He looked at me.
“Don’t tease him.”
He smiled. “Don’t worry about me love; worry about what we will do once I save you.”
I furrowed my brows in annoyance. His confidence disgusted me. I looked at the dark figure.
On cue, he stepped back on a loose board and fell through. Trying to catch himself, he moved towards the wall and hit a button.
My rope started to move up and to the left on a pulley towards some rusty brown nails poorly placed in the cement wall.
The dark figure began to laugh.
“Jericka, don’t be afraid. I will stop him.” Nico yelled out, ignoring my sudden movement toward the nails.
“I am sure you will.” I said trying to loosen the ropes. He rarely helped me out of the concoction I would be placed on.
The two began to fist fight ignoring my presence.
I moved my body back and forth on the rope hoping it would fall off the pulley. I continued to move towards the sharp nails as they fought.
A fist landed on the Nico’s face, but his fist made its way to the dark figure’s stomach. Over and over fists and feet flew at each other. They met their mark only a few times as the other punches were blocked.
I grew tired of the fighting and the constant kidnapping. It became repetitive and tiresome. I gave up on trying to save myself from the nails and let myself be run into them. I screamed as I reached them.
The two stopped.
Nico ran towards me, “No, Jericka!” he yelled trying to get to the wall. He started to pull at the nails but didn’t try to check on me.
I hung limp as I acted unconscious against the wall. Not a single nail touched me, but one did scratch my shoulder.
The dark figure grabbed hold of Nico and threw him to the other side of the room. I waited for the word to free myself.
“How could you do this to her?! I thought you loved her!” Nico yelled running at the figure.
I heard a laugh. “Love is weakness.” The dark figure said revealing a slight English accent.
I popped my head up and saw that Nico had his back towards me. I grabbed hold of the end of the rope right above my hands and pulled down. The rope pulled apart as I let myself fall. I landed softly and moved towards the two.
“How is love weakness? Love is strength. It is what keeps me going throughout the day.” Nico responded still unaware of what took place around him.
“You don’t know what love is. What you think is love is actually just people looking up to your actions. Not you.” The dark figure said as he watched me move towards them. He picked up one of the nails laying on the floor and threw it in my direction. Nico watched the nail and watched as it headed in my direction. I grabbed it mid-air.
Nico smiled at the sight of me. “You’re okay!” he yelled.
I moved towards the dark figure. “Nico you need to move.”
“Jericka this is dangerous.” He said to me putting his arms out to block me.
The dark figure moved towards me. He and I threw punches at each other. None of them touched the other person. With one swoop of the leg I knocked him down. His head smacked against his helmet as he fell to the ground.
Nico began to laugh. “Wow I did not know you knew how to fight.” Nico said as he moved towards me. “If I had known I would not have let you hang up there for so long.” He put his arm around my shoulder. “Ready beautiful?” He puffed up his chest as if he had the victory. “The cops are outside to take him away.” He said.
I stopped and turned to Nico. “Should we wait for them to come up? Just in case he escapes?” I asked looking towards the dark figure waiting for him to stand up.
Nico ran his hand through his hair. “By the look of him he will not be waking up any time soon.”
“I feel like you underestimate him.” I whispered.
“He couldn’t even defeat you; a girl. How on Earth would I underestimate him? He has no chance.”
“He escapes every time.” I replied.
“That is none of our concern. The cops do the arresting.”
The dark figure stood up and grabbed ahold of Nico’s arms. Nico looked at me.
“Run. You need to run Jericka. I can stop him.”
I moved towards Nico. “Like I said, Nico, you underestimate him.”
“What are you doing? He will capture you again.” He said.
“No, he won’t.” I moved to the dark figure and patted his shoulder.
“After all it is me, he works for.” Nico stared at me with his mouth agape.
“You? You are the head criminal that everyone fears?” Nico asked.
I smiled sinisterly. “Yes, and you just fell into my trap.”
Ashley D. Manson 